Monthly Archives: June 2022

Come Cheer the Class of 2022! Car Parade Planned Through Old Lyme TONIGHT for LOLHS Seniors on Graduation Eve

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OLD LYME — Continuing the highly successful tradition started in 2020 when a full graduation ceremony could not be held at Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) due to COVID-19 restrictions, a car parade will be held Thursday, June 9, through Old Lyme to celebrate the graduating seniors of 2022.

The actual graduation event, which will be held in full this year with all the associated pomp and ceremony, will be held the following day, Friday, June 10, at the high school.

On the evening of Thursday, June 9, LOLHS seniors will gather at their school at 5 p.m. for ice-cream and car-decorating. They will then form a convoy of their cars at the school.

The parade will start at 6 p.m. and proceed from the LOL High School following the same route as the Old Lyme Memorial Day parade. This will take it down Lyme Street and continuing to the junction of McCurdy and Rte. 156.

The 2021 parade was a joyful affair. File photo by Suzanne Thompson from the 2021 parade.

The Old Lyme Fire, Police and Ambulance Departments will be participating, along with the Lyme Ambulance Association and Lyme Fire Company.

The hope is that the townspeople will line the route to celebrate the graduates with cheering, waving signs, honking horns and generally making a supportive noise.

The parade is anticipated to last until 7 p.m.

The parade organizer is the 2022 Safe Grad Committee, which extends special thanks to Matt Ward and Ray Belval.

Dottie Wells, who is also on the committee and has been heavily involved in arranging the parade, told  LymeLine enthusiastically, “It is so nice how much support we receive from people in town, who want to come out and help the graduates and families celebrate this exciting moment in their lives. “

Presentation on ‘Vincent (van Gogh) and the Postman’ at Old Lyme Library, Tonight

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OLD LYME — On Wednesday, June 8, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Ted Zalewski will perform his one-man show Vincent: A Portrait by the Postman Roulin in the Community Room at the Old Lyme PGN Library.

The scene opens in an 1890 Café in Auvers, France. and will explore the close relationship between Vincent van Gogh and the Postman, Joseph Roulin.

Admission is free but registration is required to hold a seat for the performance.

The Library is located at 2 Library Lane, Old Lyme, CT, 06371.

June 6 COVID-19 Update: 11 New Cases in Old Lyme Take Cumulative Total to 1303, One in Lyme Raises Town Total to 316

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LYME/OLD LYME — The Daily Data Report issued Monday, June 6, by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) shows a total of 11 new, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Old Lyme and one in Lyme compared with June 3 numbers.

These cases raise Old Lyme’s cumulative case total to 1303 from 1292 on June 3, and similarly Lyme’s to 316 from 315 on the same date.

The CT DPH does not issue reports over the weekend so Monday’s numbers always include two days of data unlike all other days, which reflect a single day.

April 5, 2022 was the most recent day on which no new cases were reported in either town.

Prior to March 25, Lyme had gone for 23 consecutive days with no new cases being reported. Two new cases were reported in Lyme on March 25.

Prior to April 5, the most recent day on which no new cases were reported in either Lyme or Old Lyme was March 24. There were also no new cases on March 9 and 4, and Feb. 24. The previous date prior to Feb. 24 when no new cases were reported in either town was Dec. 12, 2021.

Statewide Situation – Weekly Update

This map, updated June 2, 2022 shows the average daily rate of new cases of COVID-19 by town during the past two weeks. Both Lyme and Old Lyme remain in the Red (highest) Zone. One hundred and fifty nine towns (representing a total of 94.1% of the state) remain in the Red Zone. Only cases among persons living in community settings are included in this map; the map does not include cases among people who reside in nursing home, assisted living, or correctional facilities. Map: Ver 12.1.2020 Source: CT Department of Public Health Get the data Created with Datawrapper.

On Thursday, June 2, the CT DPH also released its latest weekly COVID-19 Alert Map (pictured above), which indicates that 159 municipalities remain in the Red (highest of four) Zone for case rates. These towns in the Red Zone include both Lyme and Old Lyme.

This number is exactly the same as that for the previous week meaning the number of towns in the Red Zone still represents 94.1% of the state.

As a reminder, the number of towns in the Red Zone on Jan. 27, 2022 was 168 out of 169 towns.

As of June 2, 2022, all nine towns in the Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) remain in the Red Zone. The LLHD is no longer issuing reports with updated Case Rates and other metrics.

The CT DPH will issue an updated map of the zones Thursday, June 9 — the map is updated weekly on Thursdays.

The color-coded zones on the map above are:

Red: Indicates case rates over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population
Orange: Indicates case rates between 10 to 14 cases per 100,000 population
Yellow: Indicates case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population
Gray: Indicates case rates lower than five per 100,000 population

CDC Reduces ‘Community Level’ to Low for New London County, Middlesex County Remains ‘High’, All Other CT Counties are ‘Medium’

June 2 Community Transmission levels. Map courtesy of CDC.

The map above shows that on June 2, New London County is now categorized as ‘Low’ for its Community Level. Middlesex County is ‘High’ and all other Towns are ‘Medium.’ These levels are updated weekly by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursdays.

Ledge Light Health District Deputy Director of Health Jennifer Muggeo sent out an email Friday, May 27, saying, “Community members are advised to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, get tested if they have symptoms, and wear a mask when they are around others if they have symptoms, are positive or have had an exposure.”

Muggeo added, “People with symptoms should be tested and people with a positive test should isolate per guidelines. Masking remains an effective method for reducing the spread of COVID-19 and people may choose to mask even though our region is not designated as “High.””

She concluded, “You can find the latest CDC Community Level, schedules of vaccination clinics and community testing events, and isolation/quarantine guidance on our website and, as always, we are here to answer any questions or provide support for community members.

Community Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID cases in a specific geographical area. CDC recommends taking precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID based on Community Levels in your area.

You can view the new tool by following this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html

LLHD continues to focus its vaccination efforts on homebound populations and providing initial vaccinations and boosters to individuals who were vaccinated previously. Information about vaccination opportunities can be found at https://llhd.org/coronavirus-covid-19-situation/covid-19-vaccine/.

COVID testing opportunities can be found at COVID-19 Testing | Ledge Light Health District (llhd.org)

The following link provides centralized access to Connecticut COVID data: https://data.ct.gov/stories/s/COVID-19-data/wa3g-tfvc/.

An explanation of the CDC Community Levels tool by Thomas Gotowka can be found at this link.

Statewide Situation – Daily Update

The state’s COVID-19 Daily Positivity Rate broke the 10% watershed on May 4 at 10.32%. It went through the 14% mark with the May 20 Rate of 14.19%, but the June 6 Positivity Rate fell below 10% again to 9.56%. The Rate was 11.16% on Friday, June 3.

On June 6, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations decreased to 293 from the 329 recorded on June 3.

In contrast, on Jan. 12, 2022, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations was 1,939.

Of those hospitalized on June 6, the number not fully vaccinated was 92 (representing 31.4%).

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Connecticut held at 10,973 on June 6, for the sixth day in succession, according to The New York Times.

The next Daily Data Report will be issued by CT DPH Tuesday, June 7, around 4 p.m.

Increase in Cases in Lyme & Old Lyme Since August 2021

The cumulative total of confirmed cases for Old Lyme has now increased by 860 since Wednesday, Nov. 10, when the total stood at 443 — that number had stood unchanged for a week since the previous Thursday, Nov. 4.

On Aug. 26 — which was the day Lyme-Old Lyme Schools started the new academic year — Old Lyme’s cumulative case total stood at 372, meaning there have now been 931 new cases there since that date.

Meanwhile, Lyme’s cumulative total on Aug. 26 was 114 indicating 202 new cases have also been confirmed there during the same period.

Fatalities Due to COVID-19 in Lyme, Old Lyme

There has been one COVID-related fatality of a Lyme resident: a 57-year-old male passed away Nov. 16, 2021. On Nov. 30, the state finally included this fatality in its data

Four COVID-related fatalities have now been reported in Old Lyme. The first two fatalities from Old Lyme, which were reported in 2020, were a 61-year-old female and an 82-year-old male.

Details of the third and fourth fatalities, which were reported respectively in 2021 and on Feb. 4, 2022, have not been made available.

COVID-19 Situation in LOL Schools

Under new state protocols for schools, Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools are no longer required to carry out contact tracing.

LOL Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser explained the latest developments in LOL Schools COVID protocols in an email dated April 1 to the school community, saying, “As noted in my email of February 17, 2022, beginning April 1, 2022 we will no longer report daily COVID-19 cases in the schools.”

He then stated, “For the remainder of this school year, that information will be complied on a weekly basis and will be available on our website at the following link: https://www.region18.org/parents/covid-data.”

Details published to date show the following number of positive cases in LOL Schools by week.
April 3-9: 0
April 10-16: 0
April 17-23: Spring Break
April 24-30: 7
May 2-7: 27
May 8-14: 41
May 15-21: 30
May 22-28: 23
May 29-June 4: 55

The total number of cases recorded by the CT DPH in Lyme and Old Lyme for the week May 29-June 4 was 26, indicating a significant number of cases are not officially reported since LOL Schools are reporting 55 cases for the same period.

For a summary of cases in LOL Schools between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2022, visit this link.

View a full listing of cases in LOL Schools between 8/26/21 – 12/23/21 at this link.

Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden Celebrates Its First Anniversary

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The Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden in June 2022. Photos by Sheila McTigue-Ward.

Growing.  Caring.  Sharing. 

OLD LYME — American horticulturist and botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey offered a tasty kernel of wisdom when he noted, “Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.”

The good intentions of the Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden (LOLFSG) began in earnest one year ago when volunteers convened at Town Woods Park during the first weekend of June 2021 to build a garden.

A flurry of ‘firsts’ soon followed – first trench, first fence, first raised beds – and one year later, the LOLFSG is on the verge of its first harvest!  The garden now boasts more than 30 in-ground rows and six raised beds.  Planted crops include peas, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, kale, squash and more.

The ‘someone’ or more aptly, ‘someones” expending effort to cultivate the LOLFSG’s goals are the intrepid volunteers who dig trenches, haul mulch, erect fencing, plant seeds, water, weed and more.

LOLFSG is a nonprofit organization fully run by volunteers and without their concerted and ongoing efforts, the goal to support access to healthy food and reduce food insecurity by growing produce and donating it to local food pantries and kitchens would not be possible.

As the garden expands, the need for volunteers also grows.  The LOLFSG invites individuals of all ages to participate, including supervised children.   Teens interested in earning community service hours are also encouraged to volunteer.

Workdays are Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.   No gardening experience is necessary and tools/equipment are provided, including toddler-sized varieties.  Come when you can and leave when you must … every hour of work advances the mission of the garden.

An email is sent prior to each work session to identify tasks for the upcoming work session.

To join the volunteer mailing list, contact amelia.malsbury@gmail.com.

Updates and additional information and photos are available through Facebook, Instagram or https://www.lolfoodsharegarden.org/.

This was the garden in June 2021.

Editor’s Note: Congratulations and kudos to all involved in this remarkable project, especially Jim Ward, who both conceived the idea and has subsequently led the project from its inception.

Old Lyme Tennis Girls Are Class S State Tennis Champions Again, Remain Undefeated for Two Seasons!

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The Lyme-Old Lyme High School girls’ team are Class S state champions and stand undefeated for two seasons! Photo by A. Fenton.

MIDDLETOWN — UPDATED 6/6/ WITH COACH RAHR’S COMMENTS: The Old Lyme girls defeated Westbrook 4-3 in Saturday afternoon’s CIAC Class S championship final. The thrilling match was played at Wesleyan University in Middletown.

With this tremendous victory, Old Lyme become not only Class S state champions for the second year in a row but also remain undefeated for 43 games in succession!

Photo by Old Lyme Fire Department.

As the team returned to Old Lyme, they received a police escort down Rte. 9 and then on the final leg of their homeward journey, a veritable army of local ambulances, fire-trucks and police cars — all with sirens blaring, bells ringing and horns honking — enthusiastically greeted them (see photo above.)

Asked how she felt about the match and season coach Lauren Rahr told LymeLine exclusively by email, “It is crazy to think that last year we were able to bring the school its first girls’ tennis state championship, and this year we followed it up with another one!”

She continued, “Last year, the girls were new to the state stage and soaked in every moment of the experience. This year, you could tell it meant so much more to them. They not only understood the honor a state title holds, but they were able to properly celebrate with their team who have now become their best friends.”

Rahr added, “As I said to my family after the big day, “43-0, two undefeated seasons, two state championships, and a group of special girls that became an extension of my family. What gets better than that?””

Looking back at the season, Rahr commented, “I could see how strong and focused they were [throughout the season] while they were playing. When we got to championship week all I wanted to do was to get them to the finals because they all deserved that spotlight after how hard they had been working.”

She explained, “It is rare that you find a group of girls this special both on and off the court. They have changed my life. I hope they hold these memories with them throughout all the chapters of their lives.”

Noting, “We had a lot of challenges to overcome this season along with the pressure of the repeat from last year, but they handled it with their heads held high and sights focused on their goal,” Rahr concluded emphatically, “The title couldn’t have gone to a more deserving group of girls.”

The match was no push-over for Old Lyme with both the #1 and #3 OL singles players, respectively Abby Sicuranza and Callie Bass, losing their matches, and the OL #3 doubles pair also lost in an intense three-set match.

The #2 and #4 singles players, however, respectively Sam Tan and Elaina Morosky, won convincingly. Tan did not drop a single game winning 6-0, 6-0 and Morosky dropped only one game, winning 6-0, 6-1.

Similarly, the #2 doubles pair of Aggie and Beatrice Hunt did not lose a game in their 6-0, 6-0 victory while the #1 pair — Livie Bass and Alexis Fenton — dropped only one game to win 6-0, 6-1.

Hearty congratulations to the team and Coach Rahr!

This photo of the state champions includes their bus driver Bill Slivinski (back row, second from right), who has loyally driven the girls to most of their games and fervently supported them for many years. Photo by A. Fenton.

The full game scores from the match (with Old Lyme team members listed first) were as follows:

1st Singles:
Abby Sicuranza vs Julia Farnoli 2-6, 2-6

2nd Singles: 
Sam Tan vs Gianni Salisbury: 6-0, 6-0

3rd Singles:
Callie Bass vs Megan Bache: 3-6, 3-6

4th Singles: 
Elaina Morosky vs Ava:  6-0, 6-1

1st Doubles:
Livie Bass / Alexis Fenton vs. Bree Koplas / Delany Belcourt: 6-0, 6-1

2nd Doubles:  
Aggie Hunt/ Beatrice Hunt vs. Olivia Palumbo / Jami Sacco: 6-0, 6-0

3rd Doubles:
Olivia Schaedler / Izzy Reynolds vs. Xan Zanzalari / Adriana Stranieri: 6-1, 4-6, 4-6